IndyCar Wrap-Up: Dale Coyne Racing's 2023 Season

Our fourth 2023 IndyCar Wrap-Up takes us to everyone's favorite plucky underdog, Dale Coyne Racing. Illinois' only IndyCar team again provided us with some inspiring results and showed the little guys can fight with the big boys on any given day. However, the results showed it is still far from competing with the bigs on every damn day. With the youngest driver lineup on the grid, Coyne's two drivers experienced hardship, but one significantly more than the other.

David Malukas

For his sophomore season, Malukas returned to Dale Coyne Racing with firm expectations on competitiveness. It might not have been as rosy as his rookie season, but Malukas displayed flashes of skill and others noticed, including top-tier teams. However, there were greater rough patches than 2022 that cannot be ignored.

What objectively was his best race?
Malukas has a fondness for Gateway, and in what was his second IndyCar start around the 1.25-mile oval this summer, Malukas earned his second podium finish at the circuit. It was a spot worse than last season, but third ended up being the Illinoian's best result of the season. Malukas went on a charge late to third, but he spent much of this race in the top ten and top five. 

What subjectively was his best race?

Gateway is the answer, but a few other races deserve recognition. Malukas was fourth at the Texas race, and he spent a good portion of that race in the top ten and the top five. He didn't quite look capable of winning, but he was holding his own against some top teams, and it was only his second visit to Texas. His oval experience is still less than most, but he never looked out of place.

Besides Texas, Mid-Ohio deserves a mention because he finished sixth in that race after being on a slump since Texas. His best finish in the prior six races was 19th. At Mid-Ohio, he went forward, finishing sixth, six spots better than where he started. It was a solid drive.

Iowa should also be mentioned, specifically the second Iowa race. He spent the entire race in the top ten, and got a few spots on the last restart to finish eighth.

What objectively was his worst race?
Minor contact took Malukas out of the Indianapolis 500, leaving him 29th, but it was not a standout day prior to the contact either.

What subjectively was his worst race?

This isn't on Malukas, but the engine fire at Nashville that caused a rear wing failure at Nashville ended a promising day right when it was getting started. Malukas started fifth and hopes were high before the car let him down.

David Malukas' 2023 Statistics

Championship Position: 17th (265 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 1
Top Fives: 2
Top Tens: 6
Laps Led: 4
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 1
Fast Twelves: 2
Average Start: 15.765
Average Finish: 16.353

Sting Ray Robb

After spending six seasons on the Road to Indy, Robb turned his vice-championship Indy Lights season in 2022 into a full-time rookie IndyCar season in 2023. For a driver who historically takes a few seasons to develop in a race car, Robb's rookie season matched that trend and leaves him with a lot of room for growth if he has an IndyCar future.

What objectively was his best race?
That would be the final race of Robb's rookie season. As many other drivers were caught in accidents, Laguna Seca was the one race Robb kept his nose clean and avoided any trouble. That earned the Idahoan 12th to end his rookie season on a high note. 

What subjectively was his best race?

It is by far Laguna Seca. Nobody would have batted an eye if Robb had clipped somebody in that race and ended up finishing 18th. It wasn't a spectacular 12th-place finish. It was more "oh, Robb's in 12th" kind of finish and it didn't really impress anyone, but it is still his best finish. 

Also consider prior to this weekend, his best finish was 16th, and that was at St. Petersburg, where he suffered damaged from the opening lap accident after contact with Simon Pagenaud, spent much of the race multiple laps down and then pulled off the track with four laps remaining. 

Lead lap finishes were infrequent for Robb. First was Road America, where he finished 18th, and then at Nashville, where he finished 17th before Laguna Seca. I guess the days he went the distance are the bright spots.

What objectively was his worst race?
An accident on lap 90 of the Indianapolis left him classified in 31st. It was the first caution of the race. Robb had not been competitive up to that point, and he was caught on the outside of turn one when Graham Rahal was passing him. Robb was caught in the marbles and hit the barrier. 

What subjectively was his worst race?

Indianapolis deserves a special mention because Robb opened his mouth and sounded like a fool after the accident. He heaped the blame on Rahal, but after watching the replays, it was clear Rahal made a good pass and Robb got caught on the outside. Robb wasn't forced up due to a questionable move. Robb put himself there and then looked to pin blame on someone else. 

This one isn't on Robb, but the pit crew blunder in the second Iowa race letting Robb go on track when they knew a wheel nut was not secured on a tire was indefensible. It led to a rightful disqualification, but frankly there should have been a greater penalty to the team. That was a massive safety hazard created when it shouldn't have been the case. 

Sting Ray Robb's 2023 Statistics

Championship Position: 30th (53 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 0
Laps Led: 1
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 0
Average Start: 24.235
Average Finish: 22.176

An Early Look Ahead

Malukas is heading to Arrow McLaren and Robb's future remains uncertain, and yet there are no concerns over Coyne's 2024 season. 

Dale Coyne Racing lives in fluctuation, and it finds a way to keep its head above water. The team knows drivers are only hanging around for a short-time, and it would prefer a driver only staying for a year or two. Coyne doesn't have the money to keep a promising talent nor does it have the funds to make a splashy hire. It is IndyCar's moneyball team, IndyCar's Oakland Athletics. 

Engineering changes might have set the team back this year, but Coyne's guys develop. It has regularly experienced shakeups over the last few seasons and yet it has at least one podium finish in eight consecutive seasons and it has had at least one top five result in 14 consecutive seasons. Prior to 2009, the team had ten total top five finishes in its first 25 seasons of competition. 

The one rumor is Romain Grosjean may return. Grosjean had his best IndyCar success at Dale Coyne Racing. The team is different than his previous season with DCR in 2021, but perhaps it is the right combination for both driver and team. Perhaps it is the unlikely partnership that sparks success neither could achieve with anyone else. It isn't certain that is happening, it might not happen at all, but it would be an exciting development this IndyCar offseason. 

However, Coyne is open to anybody with a budget. Grosjean isn't bring much of anything. It worked in 2021, but it could be the deciding factor. 

Moving on from Robb would surprise no one. The results were bad. There wasn't a redeeming race in 2023 that warranted another chance in 2024. 

Of course, if the money is good enough, the partnership will continue, but Coyne knows there are plenty of talented drivers out there who could get more of those cars. It could be someone from Europe. It could be Danial Frost. It could be somebody we have never heard of. With Dale Coyne Racing, nobody can be entirely crossed off.